Review – Fleshwrought: Dementia/Dyslexia

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 43

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 44

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 46

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 47

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 49

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 50

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 52

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 53

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 55

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 56

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 58

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 59

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 61

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 62

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 64

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 65

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 67

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 68

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 70

Warning: in_array() expects parameter 2 to be array, boolean given in /nfs/c11/h04/mnt/192881/domains/apochs.net/html/wp-content/themes/apoch/single-3.php on line 72

The following review is taken from the original site design and is not formatted to the new site layout following the recent server change. I am aware of this and am working to get everything to appear properly. Thank you.

Fleshwrought is a new Death metal two piece formed of two well known members of the metal scene: Johnny Davy of Job for a Cowboy on vocals, with Navene Koperweis from technical bands like The Faceless and Animals as Leaders handling everything else. So, what does this mean for the record? Well, it’s about what you would assume: Job for a Cowboy meets Animals as Leaders. At times the album has some hard hitting enjoyable material, but for the most part it’s just nothing all too spectacular, and features plenty of off the wall moments that really just sound tacked on. So, with that said, let’s examine Dementia/Dyslexia for it’s positives.

In all fairness to the album, the Death Metal itself is actually not too bad. As stated, the album seems to lean more towards a better structured latter Job for a Cowboy sound, but thanks to the contributions made by Navene, things sometimes go off into other directions that only hinder the progress of the album. Many of the songs on here feature some Progressive eledctronic elements, such as specific keyboards that sound science fiction-like in nature, as well as often go off into random moments that are simply confusing, such as the absolutely random, and very weak, keyboard Jazz section of the track “Inner Thoughts”. The effect used on the keyboards simply clashes horribly against the bite and distortion on the guiitars, which through much of the album are very enjoyable and sometimes can become rather technical without completely derailing the flow of the song.

outside the brief “cyber” moment at the start of the album with “Mental Illness”, the only Progressive instrumental element that actually works with the album is during “Weeping Hallucinations”, as the song starts off catered to that sound for a pretty nice guitar solo. After the solo though, the song kicks right into the Death Metal sound that has been established on this release, and luckily that’s where much of the Progressive aspect resides as the next guitar solo sounds perfectly meshed with the edgy guitars, while still retaining it’s Experimental aspect thanks to how the notes are played, almost very shakey. At first it will sound odd, but after a fes times listening to the song, you’ll realize that it does work in the end, though the effect will still feel tacked on like the other such elements in the songs prior and coming. We also cannot forget the spacey keyboard solo that cuts the song off completely a little less then two thirds of the ay through the song, which literally serves no purpose at all, and actually comes in to leave the song feeling unfinished as it basically cuts it off and finishes the song with weird distorted sound effects. And if that’s not the worst, there’s the instrumental “Dyslexic Interlude” which makes no real sense of being on here outside of trying to enhance the “experimental” aspect of the recording. It does nothing for the album, and is simply a Progressive sounding keyboard section that isn’t all that interesting in the first place, sitting there to basically just take up time on the album.

If you can look past some of the more experimental science fiction sounding additions to this CD, you’ll actually find a rather good Death Metal album. The production on this release is great, and the instruments have enough bite to really tear away at the listener/ The problem with the music is just that there’s nothing all that unique or original about it by itself. But, even with that said, there’s still a good amount of songs that will catch your attention. Dementia/Dyslexia starts off great with the first three tracks, hitting the listener hard with well paced Death Metal with nicely laid out gutteral and higher pitched vocals that really take command on the music to create a sound that is pretty much an in your face sound. “State of Desolation” is another great track that can be highlighted on here, and it really shows the potential the band has to create a solid, straight forward Death Metal release, as well as “Self-Destructive Loathing”. The only problem by this point is that the songs will start to sound pretty much the same as one another, not having much variety between each other and sticking pretty close to the tried and true Job for a Cowboy formula. However, the atmospheric guitar solo during “Self-Destructive Loathing” actually kicks in nicely with a great transition that makes this song stand out the most on the album. It’s sad that the band was unable to create more tracks like this one, as it would have have been a welcome experimental idea instead of simply tacking random science fiction-like elements into the recording to make it stand out. Unfortunately, the closing track “Final Nausea” isn’t all that impressive either, though it has the possibility to be. This track features plenty of changes in the music itself, and a very long, drawn out introduction that would have been best left as a seperate introduction track since it takes away any steam the song has. The electronic elements in the song do sound good, but it’s hard to enjoy them with hoow much the song changes, and in the end you even hear random guitar chords yuou heard in previous songs, leaving this closing track rather disappointing.

Dementia/Dyslexia has it’s moments of being an entertaining release, but the more Experimental aspects to the album wind up clashing horribly with the established intensity and commanding sound that this two piece brings together. Had the more technological elements of the music been dropped, or transitions between been worked out better, this release could have been something rather unique given the band member’s musical backgrounds. Instead, we have an album that is strong in many ways, but just doesn’t play nicely with one another, and almost seems to take a bit of a nap half way through with only the first few songs of the album, and some of the closing tracks on it really picking up the steam and keeping the listener interested. There is some promise in this recording for future material, but until then, this band has a good idea, and just need to sit down and concentrate on what direction they want to go with it.